Date: 9/21/2007
Name: Carlos #2
email: calden3@msn.com

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subject: outboards

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Hey all:

Thanks for the recent discussion about insurance needs. It prompted me to think about what I would need monetarily to replace the 6-hp Evinrude that came with my boat. Thinking about THAT prompted me to think about how much HP I really need.

I checked out Fleet 1's info page on outboards

http://www.sj21fleet1.org/?Tips_and_Tricks:Outboards

and they suggest that except in extreme conditions a nice little 3.5 HP Nissan is plenty of power. That sounds good, but part of the reasoning for having an outboard in my mind is to deal safely with extreme conditions like sudden high winds. I put my little tiny Tanaka on the SJ21 and at a rated 3HP it didn't do too much pushing at all, but that could have been that it had a smaller prop, or the rating was off, etc. etc.

So here's the question: What have you found works effectively as an outboard - is that 3.5 really okay for even some real wind and tide conditions? In upping my insurance I can certainly add one a few more bucks to go up to a 5 or 6 HP if it's going to be at all helpful. I don't race seriously, so the extra 15 lbs. of weight really isn't a penalty for me.

Thanks in advance,

Carlos

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